BOONE, N.C. — Dr. Karl Campbell, professor in the Department of History, has been named Professor of the Year by Appalachian State University’s Student Government Association (SGA). Campbell received the honor during the SGA’s 2025–26 Goldie Faculty and Staff Awards on Tuesday, April 21.
The Professor of the Year award recognizes a faculty or staff member who demonstrates exceptional dedication to student excellence and a strong commitment to academic success. The recipient is determined based on their effectiveness in the classroom, contributions to the campus community, and impact on the broader university.
The Goldie Faculty and Staff Awards, established in the 2024–25 academic year, are named in tribute to Goldie — a live goat that once served as an App State mascot. The awards celebrate faculty and staff who exemplify the spirit of service, mentorship, and engagement at the university.
Campbell, originally from Ohio, earned his B.A. in history and political science from Warren Wilson College in Asheville and his M.A. and Ph.D. in history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He joined App State’s Department of History in 1997. A specialist in 20th‑century U.S. history, political history, and North Carolina history, he teaches a range of courses that explore the people, movements, and ideas that have shaped the modern U.S.
His scholarship includes the award‑winning book Senator Sam Ervin, Last of the Founding Fathers, which received the North Caroliniana Society Book of the Year Award in 2007. Campbell is currently completing a second book, Governor Luther H. Hodges and the Transformation of the New South.
Throughout his nearly three decades at App State, Campbell has been recognized for excellence in teaching, research, and service. He was inducted into the College of Arts and Sciences’ Academy of Outstanding Teachers in 2009, received App State’s Transforming North Carolina Research Award in 2012, and was named to the Bell Ringers Society in 2020 for outstanding contributions to the university’s history.
###
About the Department of History
The Department of History offers a broad curriculum in local, national, regional and world history at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, which encourages history majors to develop a comprehensive approach to human problems. The study of history is an essential part of a liberal arts education and offers valuable preparation for many careers, such as law, journalism, public history, public service and business, as well as in teaching and the advanced discipline of history. Learn more at history.appstate.edu.
About the Student Government Association
Appalachian State University’s Student Government Association (SGA) comprises undergraduate students who serve the university’s student body, representing students’ collective voice and enacting change on campus through legislation, advocacy, awareness and representation on App State’s Board of Trustees. SGA works to constantly improve the university by including student input on all changes and issues that impact students’ lives. Learn more at sga.appstate.edu.
By Lauren Gibbs
April 24, 2026
BOONE, N.C.
Dr. Karl Campbell, professor in the Department of History, holds his Professor of the Year Goldie Award.
Dr. Karl Campbell, professor in the Department of History, has been named Professor of the Year by Appalachian State University’s Student Government Association. Photo submitted